GEORGE TOWN – The incoming mayor of George Town has pledged to work closely with the Unesco World Heritage Site community to ensure that heritage buildings are protected and preserved.
Datuk Anthony Rajendran made the pledge after hearing grouses of the community and residents during the city’s first dialogue with them in some five years.
Some 100 community members attended the dialogue yesterday at the City Hall building.
Rajendran said that the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which he will helm next month, is fully aware of the anxieties of residents and heritage activists.
He said MBPP has made available a helpline and is engaging the relevant stakeholders.
Under the Unesco recognition, some 200ha of prime locations in George Town are under the tight control of specific guidelines and practices to protect their World Heritage Site status, as well as to treasure Penang’s outstanding universal values such as its food and craftsmanship.
For example, on complaints about noise pollution from Chulia Street and Love Lane, the present entertainment hubs on the island, Rajendran said that MBPP has told the business owners there to pipe down the music.
The MBPP enforcement team is now equipped with a noise meter to aid them in ensuring that noise pollution is kept at bay, especially in high-density areas.
“We will also ensure that the vibration from the noise is kept at the minimum level.”
Rajendran also confirmed that MBPP has a recommended list of contractors and architects, who can assist residents living in the enclave.
He also said that the council has formed a taskforce with the George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) and the Penang Heritage Commission office to beef up patrols and enforcement in the heritage enclave.
GTWHI general manager Ang Ming Chee said that every resident in the enclave has equal rights and that the organisation, as the custodian of the site, plans to aid everyone in the neighbourhood.
Ang said the residents needed to liaise with the GTWHI on their needs, such as to provide guidance when they need to conduct renovations on their premises.
Meanwhile, Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Gooi Zi Sen said that it is unfair to label the DAP-led state government as one that was only friendly to developers.
“As a state government, we are friendly with everyone with the aim of persuading them to help our agenda of serving the people.”
Gooi said that the assemblymen in the heritage enclave are willing to assist its inhabitants.
“They can come to our service centres for help,” he said. – The Vibes, April 16, 2023
